By Bosse H.R. No. 71 76R4701 BE-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, After nearly a decade in office, Baytown City 1-2 Manager Bobby Rountree is retiring, and the achievements of this 1-3 admired and respected city leader have benefited countless Texans 1-4 and are justly worthy of special legislative recognition; and 1-5 WHEREAS, A Central Texas native, Mr. Rountree earned a 1-6 bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University after graduating from 1-7 Goldthwaite High School; he began his career in city government 1-8 with the Lubbock Parks and Recreation Department in 1972 and was 1-9 hired by the Baytown Parks and Recreation Department later that 1-10 same year; and 1-11 WHEREAS, In 1975 he was named director of parks and 1-12 recreation, a post he held for more than 10 years; after a 1-13 three-year stint as assistant city manager, he was appointed acting 1-14 city manager in May 1989; and 1-15 WHEREAS, After only five months on the job, it became 1-16 apparent that there was no better candidate for the position than 1-17 Mr. Rountree, whose well-known reputation for ability and integrity 1-18 perfectly suited Baytown's governmental needs, and on October 6, 1-19 1989, the city council promoted him to city manager; and 1-20 WHEREAS, During his tenure, Mr. Rountree oversaw a host of 1-21 community improvement projects that positively affected the city 1-22 and the citizens of Baytown, including passage of a $53 million 1-23 bond issue that paved streets, improved water and sewer services, 1-24 and expanded the library and police department; and 2-1 WHEREAS, From the establishment of economic development plans 2-2 and enterprise zones to the implementation of quality-of-life 2-3 strategies to improve the environment and public transportation, 2-4 Mr. Rountree accomplished a tremendous amount in behalf of the 2-5 public during his nine years of service as city manager; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Although Mr. Rountree and his beloved wife, Jana, 2-7 plan to return to Goldthwaite, where both still have family and 2-8 many ties, his retirement will include continued service in 2-9 community leadership; he will join his brother's electrical and 2-10 air-conditioning company and lend a hand on his parents' ranch, 2-11 while also volunteering his experience and insight into city 2-12 governance to short-handed communities in the area; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Rountree's singular dedication to hard work, his 2-14 commitment to forthright and honest dialogue, and his good sense 2-15 and good humor will serve him well in the future and will be deeply 2-16 missed by the citizens of Baytown, for Bobby Rountree is an 2-17 effective and exemplary leader, and it is indeed fitting to 2-18 recognize this esteemed Texan at such an important juncture in his 2-19 life; now, therefore, be it 2-20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-21 Legislature hereby congratulate Bobby Rountree on his retirement 2-22 and commend him for his many years of outstanding service to the 2-23 city of Baytown; and, be it further 2-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-25 prepared for Mr. Rountree as an expression of high regard by the 2-26 Texas House of Representatives.